The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center offers membership to faculty, postdoctoral and clinical fellows, and doctoral and medical students, whose efforts support the center’s mission to elucidate the determinants of cancer, to develop cures for cancer, to prevent cancer through innovation and collaboration, and to eliminate cancer health disparities.
Members are affiliated with one of four research programs, distinguishing them as leaders in the areas of Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer, Immunology and Cancer, Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics and Cancer Prevention and Control. Members also enjoy privileged access to events, services and funding opportunities. Importantly, the Comprehensive Cancer Center is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the cancer research community.
The following information outlines Comprehensive Cancer Center membership categories, member benefits and responsibilities, and instructions for membership application and renewal.
Please direct all questions to center specialist Rita Spiroff (rspiroff@bsd.uchicago.edu).
Membership Categories
There are three Comprehensive Cancer Center membership categories (Full, Associate and Trainee Associate), based on academic status and the degree to which an applicant’s research and clinical activities are cancer-focused. Eligibility criteria for each category and associated benefits, are detailed below.
Member Responsibilities and Benefits
- Access to relevant Comprehensive Cancer Center research program activities, including seminars, workshops, retreats and journal clubs.
- Access to and discounted rates for Comprehensive Cancer Center shared resources including Core Facilities.
- Opportunities for collaboration with colleagues across Comprehensive Cancer Center research programs, including grants, publications and clinical trials.
- Depending on the membership type, access to funding and career development opportunities managed by the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- For clinical investigators: Members must comply with all policies and procedures of the Data and Safety Monitoring (DSM) Plan as related to the conduct of clinical trials including:
- Response to and compliance with recommendations of the Clinical Trial Review Committee (CTRC) and Scientific and Accrual Monitoring (SAM) Committee and Comprehensive Cancer Center-conducted audits.
- Participation in the Comprehensive Cancer Center audit program as an auditor if involved in clinical activity.
Membership Application and Renewal Processes
New applicants and those seeking membership renewal must complete an online application form. All Full and Associate member applications are reviewed and voted on by the Comprehensive Cancer Center Executive Committee. Trainee Associate member applications will be reviewed by the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination team. Applicants will be notified as soon as the review is complete.
Access the online membership application and renewal form here: https://j.mp/33Hzt23
View and print a PDF of membership guidelines and application instructions.
Before getting started, be prepared to upload a current PDF version of your curriculum vitae and to provide the following information:
Application Type
- New membership; Membership renewal
Applicant Identification
- Name
- Other names under which you have published
- UChicago ID number
Membership Type
- Full, Associate, Trainee Associate
Academic Status
- Degree(s) attained
- Current title*
- Current trainee status**
- Department
- Start date of current training (MM-YYYY)**
- Expected completion data of current training (MM-YYYY)**
Primary Mentor Information**
- Mentor name
- Mentor contact information (phone & email)
- Mentor Comprehensive Cancer Center program affiliation
Desired cancer research program affiliation
Most Comprehensive Cancer Center members are affiliated with one of four programs based on the focus of their research. Associate Trainee members are usually affiliated with the program of their primary mentor.
New applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program leaders, or a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Executive Committee, to understand the program’s scope and the strength of the applicant’s alignment.
Cancer-related research activities
- Summary of your research focus, including relevance to cancer (500 words or less)
- Description of any interdisciplinary or collaborative cancer-related research with other members of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (500 words or less)*
- Title, IRB# and NCT# of clinical trials for which you are the PI*
Comprehensive Cancer Center-supported shared resources*
- Please indicate which resources (e.g., Bioinformatics Core Facility, Genomics Core Facility) you use currently or might use in the future.
Cancer-related funding
- Funding organization (e.g., NIH, ACS, NSF), grant/award title and grant/award number for all cancer-related research funding or training support
Personal contact information
- Work phone, email and mailing address
- Personal email**
- Name and email of administrative assistant, if applicable*
* Full/Associate applicants only
** Trainee Associate applicants only
- Current membership rosters are reviewed annually, typically at the time of submission of the competing or non-competing Cancer Center Support Grant to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Continued membership requires documentation of a cancer focus for research, grants and publications, collaboration with other Comprehensive Cancer Center members, and participation in Comprehensive Cancer Center-sponsored initiatives or activities.
- At the time of faculty reappointment or promotion within their primary departments, Full and Associate members must apply for membership renewal. Research program leaders also evaluate the extent to which the investigator has actively participated in Comprehensive Cancer Center activities. Reappointment requires approval of the Executive Committee.
- An Associate member may become a Full member if s/he receives cancer-related funding, is PI of a clinical trial, increases cancer-related research, or otherwise meets the criteria for full membership. Similarly, a Full member may move to Associate member if her/his research has become less cancer-focused, or otherwise does not meet the designated criteria.
- For clinical investigators: If at any time, and following review of circumstances and/or appeal, the Clinical Research Advisory Committee (CRAC) finds an investigator to be noncompliant with the Data and Safety Monitoring (DSM) Plan guidelines, the CRAC will recommend that the Cancer Center Executive Committee suspend membership privileges.
- All changes in membership, including suspension of membership privileges, require review and a vote by the Executive Committee.
Membership Categories
Academic Status
Junior or Senior faculty
Eligibility Criteria
- Primary cancer focus in basic, clinical, translational or population research. Evidence of a cancer focus includes:
- Cancer-related, peer-reviewed funding from a national funding agency
- Significant contribution to clinical research (e.g., PI on trials, writing investigator-initiated trials, enrolling large numbers of patients in clinical trials, contributing significantly to publications involving clinical trials)
- Publications in cancer-relevant journals as a major contributing author
- Extensive collaboration with, and intellectual contribution to, the cancer-focused research of other Comprehensive Cancer Center members
Eligible Benefits
- Formal secondary appointment within the Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Discounts for Comprehensive Cancer Center Shared Resources
- Comprehensive Cancer Center funding opportunities (e.g., pilot project grants, early-phase research support)
- Recruitment support
- Invitation to Comprehensive Cancer Center seminars, symposia, and other sponsored events
- Assistance with large multi-disciplinary or multi-departmental grants (e.g., P01s, Center grants)
Academic Status
Junior or Senior faculty
Eligibility Criteria
Emerging cancer focus in basic, clinical, translational or population research and/or makes significant contributions to the research of Comprehensive Cancer Center members.
OR
Cancer-focused clinical activities, including:
- Providing clinical care for significant numbers of cancer patients
- Participation in cancer-related disease site tumor conferences
- Enrolling patients in cancer clinical trials (but not as PI or trial author)
Eligible Benefits
Discounts for Comprehensive Cancer Center Shared Resources (with pre-approval from the Executive Committee)
Invitation to Comprehensive Cancer Center seminars, symposia, and other sponsored events
Academic Status
PhD and medical students, post-doctoral and clinical fellows
Eligibility Criteria
Primary cancer focus in basic, clinical, translational or population research. Evidence of a cancer focus includes:
- Significant contribution to the research of a Comprehensive Cancer Center member (e.g., as a graduate research assistant)
- Cancer-related, peer-reviewed funding from a national funding agency
- Publications in cancer-relevant journals
Eligible Benefits
- Specialized leadership and career development programming
- Priority access to Comprehensive Cancer Center programs (e.g., UChicago Cancer Disparities Training Program)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-sponsored awards and scholarships (e.g., conference travel grants)
- Invitation to Comprehensive Cancer Center seminars, symposia, and other sponsored events
- Alumni network and support
Research Program Descriptions
Program Goals
Make fundamental new discoveries that explain cancer cell growth and metastasis and leverage these paradigm-shifting discoveries to meet the most difficult challenges in cancer therapy, diagnosis and detection
Research Themes
- Epigenetics of cancer and tumor-specific gene expression
- Mechanisms of altered cell growth (e.g., metabolism)
- Altered tumor microenvironment and metastasis
Leaders
Kay Macleod, PhD
Barbara Kee, PhD
Assistant Leader:
Megan McNerney, MD, PhD
Members
Program Goals
Understand the interface between the host immune system and cancer and use this knowledge to develop effective immunotherapies for the treatment of a broad array of cancer types
Research Themes
- Innate immunity, lymphocyte activation and peripheral inflammation/regulation of tolerance
- Preclinical models of anti-tumor immunity
- Human cancer immunology and immunotherapy
Leaders
Thomas Gajewski, MD, PhD
Peter Savage, PhD
Assistant Leader:
Justin Kline, MD
Members
Program Goals
Foster interaction between basic, translational and clinical investigators with the ultimate objective of developing innovative, personalized and effective cancer therapies
Research Themes
- Targeting intracellular signaling
- Targeting the microenvironment
- Biomarker interrogation, optimization and validation
- Developing and cross-cutting themes: Molecular imaging and dose optimization
Leaders
Russell Szmulewitz, MD
Wendy Stock, MD
Chin-Tu Chen, PhD
Assistant Leader
Mark Applebaum, MD
Members
Program Goals
Promote novel cancer population science discoveries through interdisciplinary research and translate this knowledge into clinical and public health practice to reduce risk and increase survivorship
Research Themes
- Risk and prevention
- Detection and survivorship
- Cross-cutting theme: Local and global health disparities
Leaders
Brandon Pierce, PhD
Tara Henderson, MD, MPH
Assistant Leader:
Loren Saulsberry, PhD